Letters

Still Humming after All These Years

Dear Alibi,

One year ago the Alibi published an article titled "What's That Sound?" [March 25-31, 2004]. It has been five years since this pulsing, low-rumbling staccato was first heard and felt in Sandia Heights.

Recent Internet websites have pointed to several probable culprits such as: underground boring and drilling operations, microwave cell transmissions atop Sandia Crest cell towers, high-powered microwave pulse research units at the base of the Manzanos on Kirtland Air Force Base, vertical sync-pulses when interlaced at 30 Hz frequency, improperly grounded broadband/cable TV lines or the combination of any of the above.

In fact, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports in their Nov. 10, 2004 issue that the St. Paul City Council has sought a $250,000 damage suit against a cable company (Comcast) for violation of electrical codes owing to faulty underground hookups. On the heels of this action, residents of St. Paul strongly believe that this broadband/cable installation, when coupled with poor hookup and faulty grounding, is related to this "hum" sound pulse.

The hum was first detected five years ago in Sandia Heights, at first as an intermittent low-pitched rumbling noise familiar to a train yard, a distant jet on a tarmac, a tractor-trailer idling or a ship turbine. But over the years there has been a steady increase in the hum's intensity. Albeit initially intermittent, this is now heard and felt on a 24/7 basis. I am not alone to this hum reception, as it is also heard by my neighbors and in surrounding residences. My realtor can also attest to this since we have been to several houses for sale in the Sandia Heights area, and all display the hum at different levels of intensity. But it is all around us.

Incidentally, the hum was first heard at the start of an underground TV cable lines' installation in Sandia Heights five years ago. And, along with other ancillary phenomena listed above, it has increased to the now persistent and bothersome level.

This is an appeal to our scientific intelligentsia: Whatever the cause, wherever the source of this persistent and bothersome hum, isn't there someone out there who can shed light on this 24/7 phenomenon? How can we muzzle and eradicate this "intruder"?

Phil Ciofalo Albuquerque

Conservation Voters

Dear Alibi,

Jim Scarantino's claim that environmentalism is dead ["Commentary," April 28-May 4, 2005] is pre-mature at best. It is not the environmentalists that lack big, bold ideas. After all, they gave us Kyoto and the Wildlands Project, both grand and courageous ideas which have been opposed from the start by our weak-willed political and corporate "leaders". To see why the environmental community has not had many successes in recent years, one need look no further than the White House and halls of Congress.

Contrary to Mr. Scarantino's gushing portrayal of Heather Wilson, the reason she is opposed by the environmental community can be summed up by the fact that her actual record gets failing grades from such organizations as the League of Conservation Voters, National Parks Conservation Association, and the Sierra Club. She has consistently been on the wrong side of critical environmental issues. Protecting a few birds in the Sandias is not a bold idea and certainly took no courage on her part. Like most of her Republican colleagues, she views the environment as an enemy that must be destroyed on behalf of sacred corporate profit.

Short-sighted people have longed for the demise of the environmental movement since its inception in the ’60s, but it has had a major impact on attitudes in the world and will not go away. Sorry, he's not dead, Jim!

Ed Gunderson Albuquerque

Behind the Music

Dear Alibi,

Being an event security guard who works at most of Albuquerque's live music venues (Tingley Coliseum, Journal Pavilion, the Albuquerque Convention Center and the Sunshine Theater, respectively), I get to witness a lot of the problems in relation to underage drinking.

I can honestly say that the Sunshine has the least number of underage people drinking of any place I've worked. Ironically, the most number of underaged drinkers, and the problems caused by them, were at Tingley Coliseum, a venue not mentioned in your article, "The Kids Aren't Alright" [May 5-11, 2005]. The Journal Pavilion also has a lot of problems with this, due to a lack of "alcohol wrist bands," so many people and open space.

I'm not really sure what the Mayor hopes to accomplish by ultimately causing these smaller venues to close, which they will if they no longer have the revenues from alcohol sales. Personally, I agree that most of Downtown's problems are cause by cruisers. Get rid of them and most of our problems will be solved. Closing down these smaller venues will accomplish nothing. Besides, where else will Static-X play every six months ... Journal Pavilion?

S.C. Albuquerque

Talk is Cheap, Gas is Not

Dear Alibi,

The Alibi has stopped delivering to Madrid. Please come back! The Alibi is the best weekly in N.M. Don' t leave us with the suck-ass Santa Fe Reporter. Gas might be expensive, but Madrid does rock-out in Burque.

Andrew Mineshaft Tavern, Madrid

Letters should be sent with the writer's name, address and daytime phone number via e-mail to letters@alibi.com. They can also be faxed to (505) 256-9651. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium; we regret that owing to the volume of correspondence we cannot reply to every letter.